Gaming terminals, such as slot machines, video poker machines and the like, have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry for several years. Generally, the popularity of such machines with players is dependent on the likelihood (or perceived likelihood) of winning money at the machine and the intrinsic entertainment value of the machine relative to other available gaming options. Where the available gaming options include a number of competing machines and the expectation of winning at each machine is roughly the same (or believed to be the same), players are likely to be attracted to the most entertaining and exciting machines. Shrewd operators consequently strive to employ the most entertaining and exciting machines, features, and enhancements available because such machines attract frequent play and hence increase profitability to the operator. Thus, gaming manufacturers continuously endeavor to develop new games and improved gaming enhancements that will attract frequent play through enhanced entertainment value to the player.
One concept that has been successfully employed to enhance the entertainment value of a game is the concept of a “secondary” or “bonus” game that may be played in conjunction with a “primary” or “basic” game. The bonus game may comprise any type of game, either similar to or completely different from the basic game, which is entered upon the occurrence of a selected event or outcome in the basic game. Generally, bonus games provide a greater expectation of winning than the basic game and may also be accompanied with more attractive or unusual video displays and/or audio.
Another concept that has been employed is the use of progressive jackpots. In the gaming industry, a “progressive jackpot” involves collecting coin-in data from participating gaming device(s), such as slot machines, contributing a percentage of that coin-in data to a jackpot amount, and awarding that jackpot amount to a player upon the occurrence of a jackpot-winning event. A jackpot-winning event typically occurs when a “progressive winning position” is achieved at a participating gaming device. If the gaming device is a slot machine, a progressive winning position may, for example, correspond to alignment of progressive jackpot reel symbols along an active payline. The initial progressive jackpot is a predetermined minimum amount. That jackpot amount, however, progressively increases as players continue to play the gaming machine without winning the jackpot. Further, when several gaming machines are linked together such that several players at several gaming machines compete for the same jackpot, the jackpot progressively increases at a much faster rate.
Skill-based wagering games and game features have been known to garner new and more frequent game play from some players. Skill-based games typically offer a greater degree of player involvement and interaction than their non-skill-based counterparts. Unlike non-skill-based games where the game outcome is predominantly, if not solely based on chance (e.g., a random selection made by a computer processor), skill-based games are games in which the outcome of the game is predominantly, if not solely determined by a player's physical skill (e.g., reflex or dexterity) or mental skill (e.g., logical reasoning, strategic thinking, trivia knowledge). Most games of skill do have an element of chance; however, the player's skill is significantly more influential in determining the game's outcome. In general, there are three basic types of skill-based games: games that involve the use of strategy, games that rely on the player's knowledge and/or past experiences, and games that require hand-eye coordination. Each type has its advantages and drawbacks.
In some strategy-based games, there are clear rules from which the player can infer the most optimal choices. An example of this type is Tic-Tac-Toe, where playing in certain squares first can guarantee the player at least a draw. Some experience and knowledge-based games require the player to make decisions without knowing which choices lead to what outcomes. An example of this type is a game in which the player must decide whether to redeem an award worth a certain credit amount or try for another worth potentially more, but also potentially less. Some players may have more knowledge/experience as it pertains to a particular game and, thus, may have an advantage over other players. In hand-eye-coordination type games, the player uses reflex and manual dexterity to try and achieve the best results. An example of such a game is “Pong,” where the player controls the movement of a computerized paddle to deflect a bouncing ball. In such games, certain players may have a physical advantage over other players.
Wagering games are typically designed to minimize elements of skill because many gaming regulations prohibit giving certain players an advantage or “edge” over other players. Skill-based games often end up with some disadvantaged players who, for example, use less than the most optimal strategy, do not make the best decisions, or are at a physical disadvantage. As a result, these players wind up with less than their expected share of winnings, thus producing a less than desirable gaming experience. Accordingly, what is needed is a wagering game with a skill-based component to attract players, but which does not leave unskilled players at a disadvantage to other skilled players. Such new features will further enhance player excitement, perpetuate player loyalty, and thus increase game play and profitability to hosts and operators.